43. Chapter Forty-Three #2
Her hand was warm and reassuring as I shook it before meekly clasping mine together in front of me.
“Thank you for helping me,” I replied, not sure I would ever be able to thank them enough. My eyes shifted to Zuri, and she winked in return.
“We have a safe route to Ice Rock planned,” Serafina explained, her quiet voice calm and comforting as she cinched a leather bag tightly.
“Avoiding major routes and settlements, we’ll exit Kagé City through the northern checkpoint.
It’s the most practical and has the least amount of guards, since no one wants to go north. ”
North. A chill swept through me. I couldn’t help but ask the question, though I feared I already knew the answer. “May I ask… where exactly is Ice Rock?”
Serafina’s gaze locked with mine, her eyes soft, understanding.
“It’s a small outpost village near the northern border of Ittora.
Since it’s so close to Elysirea, the only folks there are in situations like yours.
But I’ve been there many times.” She grasped my hands in hers, her touch grounding me.
“They’re good people. I promise. You’ll be safe there. ”
A cold fury tightened within me as memories of the Fey resurfaced.
My brother’s descent into madness. The despicable man I once thought cared for me.
The seemingly innocent gift he gave me that became the damning catalyst for my imprisonment and torture.
And the curse they placed on our lands, slowly killing our food and our people—parents, children, elders, and infants alike.
Serafina interrupted my thoughts, her sienna hands tugging on mine with a motherly tenderness, one that made me wish I could simply stay here with her and Zuri.
“We need to hurry.” She gave my fingers a gentle squeeze, then let go to grab a bag. “The guard that I’m friendly with will change shifts in an hour. Let’s get you settled in the wagon, hun.”
When she mentioned me getting inside, I hadn’t imagined that it meant I would be lying in a hidden compartment under the main bed of an uncovered wagon.
Lying back on a thick blanket, with a few more on top of me for warmth, I wasn’t uncomfortable, except for the fact that it was dark, and there were only a few inches of clearance between my face and the false bottom above me.
Stacked on top of the door were the bolts and baskets of fabrics and supplies for the journey, along with oiled leather blankets to protect everything from the elements.
I was fortunate I wasn’t afraid of being trapped in cramped spaces, as that was exactly what was happening. With the weight of the load above me, there was no escaping. If something happened to Serafina and Zuri, there was no telling how long I could be stuck.
As the wagon moved through the streets to the checkpoint, I took a deep breath and reached my hand over to my satchel, the shape of my journal calming my nerves.
The rhythmic clatter of hooves and the creaking of the wooden wheels created a lulling cadence, and I mentally flipped through the pages of my journal to keep my mind distracted.
Before long, the wagon rolled to a stop. Heavy boots clicked against the cobblestone, too close to my hiding place for comfort. Anxiety gripped me, and I strained to hear the conversation outside.
“Where are you headed today, Sera?” a gruff voice demanded.
Serafina’s composed reply reached my ears, a steady anchor in the black void. “Ice Rock, sir. Unique fabrics don’t come from nowhere.”
The soldier was quiet for a moment. “That’s a long journey. Been there before?”
“Yes, I have.” Serafina’s response was full of authority. “It’ll be my Zuri’s first time, though.”
“Excited, young miss?” the guard asked.
Zuri’s voice carried a smile. “More excited for the fabrics and furs than the cold weather, I suppose.”
The guard burst into a hearty laugh.
“Well, can’t argue with that!” Still chuckling, he continued, “Let me just check what you’ve got in the back. Might take a little longer than usual; we’ve got special orders to be thorough.”
I stifled the pressing urge to wrap my arms around my chest, determined not to move and risk making a sound.
“Of course, Beck, take your time.”
Footsteps echoed from the front of the wagon to the back, followed by the rustling sounds of the guard thoroughly sifting through the wares and supplies above me that seemed to stretch on for decades as my heart pounded in my ears, my body desperately, agonizingly still.
“Everything looks good back here.”
I let out a silent sigh, not realizing I had been holding my breath.
As the soldier moved back to his station, unexpectedly, he offered a piece of advice to the two driving the wagon.
“If you’re there for a full moon, don’t miss the Singing Vines.
They play a hauntingly beautiful tune you won’t want to miss. Some locals even claim they’re magic.”
“We’ll keep that in mind, sir. Thank you very much, and have a good day!”
Serafina was a natural—her demeanor confident and reassuring even in the face of scrutiny. I wasn’t sure that I could lie so easily, or so well. I was glad to be tucked under the wagon where I didn’t have to try. Reins snapped, and I felt the wagon lurch forward, nearly taking my stomach with it.
And just like that, we were off, leaving Kagé City as if Serafina and Zuri were embarking on a routine trading expedition.
As my heartbeat slowed back to normal, the guard’s words pervaded my mind. Magical, singing vines.
I found the outline of the tall wooden box in my satchel, the one containing the Eternal Bloom, before my fingers drifted back to my journal where the drawing of the birch tree once was. A spark of hope surged within me.
The Withering was relentless.
But so was I.
Perhaps going to Ice Rock wouldn’t be so bad after all. Perhaps there was hope for Ittora yet.